Autophobia
by Invader Johnny
Summary: Plasmius hated being alone, he wanted a family, mostly he wanted Maddie and Danny by his side, but due to his evil ways, that will never happen, he will be forever alone, or will he? takes place after Phantom Planet.


_**Autophobia**_

_Plot: Plasmius hated being alone, he wanted a family, mostly he wanted Maddie and Danny by his side, but due to his evil ways, that will never happen, he will be forever alone, takes place after Phantom Planet._

_By the way this fic is dedicated to Pearl84 since she is the biggest Vlad fan I know, plus she helped me by being the beta for this thing. _

_So yeah thanks._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom the rights to the show belong to Butch Hartman. _

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_"Jack, you got to help me!. You wouldn't turn your back on an old friend, would you?" Vlad said with confidence that the man would let him aboard the ship._

_"An old friend? No. You? Yes."_

Those words haunted the lonely half ghost.

But not as much as knowing he could never return to Earth, his _home._

"No doubt Daniel saved the world from… me," he said guiltily. 

Vlad sat on the surface of the moon, looking longingly at the Earth, wanting, _wishing _to be there, he wanted to see sunlight again, he wanted to feel the wind against his face, he wanted have his life back, hell,he wanted to see JACK again.

Funny to think that the little things in life are usually taken for granted.

That's what Vlad had done, he had never realized what he had until it was taken away from him.

Or rather _he_ LOST it all, his home, his money, his best friend.

Vlad's eyes, those red eyes that once held a look of superiority and power were now shallow, empty. No real emotion could be found in them any longer. He was now a shadow of his former self.

He had been in space for weeks now, but in reality, he couldn't really tell the amount of time he had been out here. After all, in space there is no day or night. For all he knew, he could have been stranded for months, or even years by now!

And why he hadn't died yet?

Because, he didn't want to die alone.

He _refused_ to die alone.

Vlad had prevented himself several times from reverting back to his human self. But he knew he would revert back sooner or later. And then...

Death would come.

Needless to say that Vlad was afraid. What would happen if he died?

Would he simply die without going to another realm of existence?

If not then he would most certainly end in hell.

On the other hand he could simply become a full ghost and live the rest of eternity alone in the Ghost Zone. He was certain that if that happen, he would be hunted down like an animal, no one would feel sympathy towards him, no one would help him.

Skulker would surely turn on him.The hunter would no longersee any benefit in allying with him.He would hunt him like he had done with Danny all those times before. Or worse,the hunter might give him to Walker who would make him spend the rest of his life or afterlife confined within a cell, or knowing the warden something much worse.

Vlad stroked his black hair in stress.

Then again, he COULD hide in the human world. He was sure that many of his underground lairs were still untouched.

_"But for how long?"_

Sooner or later someone would find him and tell everyone he had return.

And it would ultimately be his demise.

He was sure he had lost all rights that people have. He was sure no one would see him as a human being anymore.

No one cared about him.

Vlad no longer had anyone he could call his friend.

All he had wanted was love.

Now he would never have it.

Due to the error of his ways.

The half-ghost felt himself get overcome by a guilt so powerful that he never knew it was even possible to feel. He didn't felt it all those times he had fought Danny and much less when he tried to kill Jack, so why now? It was then he found himself doing something he thought it was unthinkable.

He started to cry.

Vlad Plasmius, the ghost man that was most likely considered a heartless monster by many, was crying.

He hated being alone. He had hated it since he got these ghost powers.

Due to his powers, he couldn't be around people for years. He had tried to control them, use them for his benefit. It's no surprise it took him so long that he never had the time for a social life after he became a half-ghost.

But, of course, the fact here was he had WANTED a social life! So much so that it _still_ pained him on all the stuff he missed.

And that he would miss even more now.

Looking at the Earth yet again, Vlad thought sorrowfully_ "There is no going back for me"._

_"Not now, not ever"._

He turned left and he turned right. Stars, that's all he was going to see for the rest of his life which was going to end soon enough.

He wiped his eyes with his right hand.

_"There's no point crying. It's not going to solve anything,"_ he thought miserably.

Vlad found himself remembering all the things he witnessed while he was "seeing the sights" out here in space, he saw comets, a binary system, he had even witnessed a black hole opening right in front of him. It was without a doubt things Daniel would just LOVE to see.

At the mention of the name Vlad felt a new emotion.

Anger.

**_" HE DID THIS TO ME!"_**

_**" HE AND HIS IDIOT FATHER ARE THE REASON WHY I'M HERE AND I CANT GO BACK!".**_

At the sudden outburst, he unleashed an ecto-ray and created a new crater on the surface of the moon, he threw another and another ghost ray at many different directions.

_**"CURSE YOU DANIEL FENTON! CURSE YOU AND YOUR FATHER!"**_ He screamed into the vast nothingness before firing a stronger ecto-blast towards it and screaming in anger, but above all…

Anguish.

Vlad breathed heavily as he watched the red energy quickly fade into the dark distance. With a defeated moan, he dropped to his knees, and covered his face as he tried to keep himself from breaking into loud uncontrollable sobs.

After a moment, he lowered his hands, and sat down. But as he did, he felt his tired body try to turn human. For a moment, he allowed the rings to form, to travel past his abdomen. He should just get it over with. No one cared about him. No one had ever cared about him. His death would be meaningless. In fact, everyone would be happier. The world would be happier without Vlad Masters, the half-ghost freak!

_"The world would celebrate my death"._

The rings were now passing his chest.

His legs.

His neck.

He let the rings continue their job, but then he recalled Jack's words in the space shuttle.

_"I'm your friend, Vladdie. I have always been your friend!"_

Vlad halted the black rings in the nick of time, he halted death itself. Jack… he had sounded so sincere… so pained. The half-ghost creased his eyebrows in confusion and thoughtfulness. 

And it was then he finally realized.

Jack truly had cared for him. Someone _had_ cared for him!

Vlad stood, and willed the rings to vanish. He slowly turned around, his red eyes gazed at the Earth, but this time, he looked at it with a new emotion. Oh longing and regret were still there; but now it held realization; and of course, understanding.

He found himself recalling his time with Jack and Maddie. When they first met. The times they had spent together. The jokes, the parties, the backwash incident, things they shared… It all had been wonderful then. They had been friends then. Only the three of them existed. There was no jealousy, no hatred. There had been only happiness.

Vlad Masters had experienced happiness.

But that wasn't the only time. Vlad had been happy when he had first discovered Daniel was half-ghost. 

He remembered being surprised; and his first thoughts were on how to use his discovery as an advantage for himself only. But deep within, where he suppressed the part of him that had once been good, he had felt happy. There was finally someone like him. Someone who could understand him, who knew what it was like to carry the burdens his powers brought.

When he discovered the young half-ghost's existence, he had no longer felt alone.

He felt he had finally gotten what he wanted.

Vlad suddenly smiled fondly. He recalled how they had instantly connected. Before Daniel found out he was Plasmius, before the boy had found out he wanted to kill his father, Daniel had looked at him differently. The boy had smiled, even laughed with him. The look in Daniel's blue eyes had held no hate or fear, but calmness, amusement, and even respect.

Both of them. Both Jack and Daniel, had cared at one point. And… they would have continued to care if it wasn't for…

Vlad placed his hand over his mouth, "I ruined it," he whispered helplessly, "I destroyed both chances I had at being loved, of being understood. I'm not here because of them. I'm here because of myself…because of my selfish deeds…"

Jack had never meant to hurt him. Jack never stole Maddie from him because she had always loved Jack.

_".. Maddie"._

It was so painfully obvious that the woman he so desperately wanted by his side would now think even less of him and of course hate him forevermore.

_"Can't say I blame her". _

Just then Vlad covered his body with his white and red cape.

He felt cold.

He felt _ashamed._

_"Just what right did I have to interfere with Maddie's happiness?"_

Finally Daniel came to mind, the boy would have looked up to him for guidance, for understanding, he would see him not as an enemy but as a friend or even as family, if he had not treated him as a pawn; if he had showed what he had felt within. 

If he had showed love, he would have received it back.

"What have I done?" he said sorrowfully. "I had to lose everything to realize what a fool I've been."

He'd give anything to take back what he had done. He'd give anything for a second chance…

He gived anything just to apologize for all of his misdeeds.

Vlad hung his head in regret. Deep, sincere, _**true**_ regret.

And then it happened. A bright blue light exploded in front of the half-ghost's vision making him gasp in alarm, and shield his eyes. 

When it was over, the time master stood before Plasmius.

Vlad stared wide-eyed at the ghost. He recognized him from his studies on ghosts, he knew very little about Clockwork, only the basics, that he could control time, that he had the ability to see the past and future and that he was without a doubt a very powerful being, even more so than the Ghost King.

Butabove allhe knew the blue entity in front of him was not evil.

"It's not possible…" he whispered in shock, "You're just a legend, a ghostly myth!"

Clockwork smirked, "You shouldn't believe everything you read… "

Vlad just continued to stare at him.

Clockwork raised an eyebrow as he became an old man. "For someone who has always had something to say, you are not very talkative now." 

That seemed to snap Vlad out of his stupor. "Why, W-Why are you here?" he asked fearfully.

"No introductions?" Clockwork asked with another smirk. "Alright. I don't mind… After all, I already know who you are _Vlad Masters_, or would you prefer _Vlad Plasmius_?"

Vlad frowned, before slowly responding. "If you are really the Master of Time, then you do not need me to answer that."

Clockwork shrugged as he morphed into a baby. "Yes, well, it would be absurd for me to answer my own question, now wouldn't it?"

Vlad sighed, he figured that his loneliness would eventually drive him mad, but he somehow knew that the ghost in front of him was not a hallucination but the real thing.

The half-ghost also knew that he definitely would never get the chance talk to anyone anymore.

_Living or death._

After all, he had lost that right.

And he knew he should cherish the fact that he finally had someone to talk to.

But due to his emotional pain, he was not in the mood to talk to a ghost, even if, it was one as legendary as this one. Before he would have cared, but now…

"Unless you are here to offer me a solution to my problems then please be so kind as to let me die in peace," Vlad said, before turning to float off.

"That's exactly why I'm here."

That caught Vlad off guard.

He whirled around and looked at the ghost in surprise and after a few minutes Vlad finally managed to choke the words "What?" 

"I'm here to offer you a safe way back to your world, Vlad Masters."

Vlad just stared at him for a moment, but then he looked at him suspiciously and asked, "Why would you do that?"

Clockwork smiled mysteriously as he became a middle age man, and instead of answering the question, he continued with what he was saying. "You can choose to take the way back, but be warned, Vlad Masters, you will have to assume the consequences of your actions." 

The time master became an old man once again but he continued to speak calmly "However, things can be different for you if you choose them to be. You are not as alone as you think. I am certain that if you prove you are willing to change your ways, someone you know will help you begin a new life…"

Vlad's eyes widened, but then he shook his head sorrowfully. "Why would Daniel help _me_?"

Clockwork's grin grew. "Because he knows more than anyone else that everyone deserves a second chance."

Vlad looked at him quizzically, but before he could voice a question, the Time Master spoke once more with yet another mysterious smile, "But he won't be the one that will help you… at first."

Vlad was about to speak.

I won't answer any of your questions," he stated calmly turning into a baby. 

Clockwork then extended his staff and made a portal appear to Vlad's right, aligned with the Earth. "Now you have a choice. Choose wisely, Vlad Masters."

In an instant, the time ghost vanished.

Vlad stared at the spot where Clockwork had once stood, but then slowly looked at the green portal in front of him, in front of the Earth. He could return. But he would have to accept the consequences. Only that with what he hoped would be Daniel's help they wouldn't be as severe.

But, was he willing to change? Was he willing to forgive? Was he willing to put an end to Plasmius' rampage of hate and destruction?

Vlad took a step away from the portal from self doubt. He was afraid. What if he couldn't do it? What did Clockwork meant by Daniel's lack of help at first? What would be the consequences?

And most importantly, could Daniel and Jack forgive him?

Could _anyone_ forgive him?

Vlad found a lone tear escape one of his eyes as he thought about how things had been before _he_ betrayed Jack, before _he_ betrayed Daniel.

Before he the betrayed the world.

Now, he had a chance to fix things. Could he?

Vlad smiled sadly. "I have nothing left to lose… but perhaps, I have something left to gain. I can have a second chance at obtaining love through a friend and his half-ghost son…"

With a look of determination, Vlad stepped into the portal.

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Back inhis floating clock tower Clockwork saw the whole thing.

And he couldn't be happier about what he's done.

Because he was no only going to help Vlad get his redemption.

By helping Vlad, He would also help yet another lonely person.

And in the end that's all that mattered.

The End.

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_**Autophobia** is the fear of being alone. A secondary meaning of the term is for the much rarer condition of true autophobia, that is, fear or mistrust of oneself. _

_Is up to you to decide which condition Vlad has. _

_Well I hope you all like the one-shot, I had had the urge to write one story about Vlad after **"Phantom Planet",** I feelt sorry for the man and thought about writing this for a long time and finally I got off my lazy as and I did it! _

_The good new about this? _

_This will remain a one-shot BUT there **WILL **be a sequel, wether it will be just a one-shot like this one or a multi chaptered story is still something I'm still not one hundred percent sure. _

_Well now that I'm done I'm most likely going to return to my other stories "Ghostly Emotions" and "When A Human Loves an Irken" What can I say? I hate writer's block so hopefully this fic should be a nice start to get me to write again and post other things soon enough. _

_Till next time. _

_Please review and tell me whatcha think, constructive critisism is accepted. _

_Invader Johnny Signing Off. _


End file.
